#097
“38.1 degrees.”
Lee Yeonwoo said quietly.
As expected, it went up even more.
“Don’t shower with cold water because you have a fever, don’t turn on the air conditioner, eat and stay warm.”
– Yes.
If there were an airport in the countryside, he would want to fly there.
“I’ll come quickly too. I’ll arrive today.”
– Weren’t you coming tomorrow?
It was a deliberately surprised voice.
“How can I do that when you’re sick. I’ll leave right away.”
– Yes.
Lee Yeonwoo seemed happy that Kang Dojun was coming quickly, smiling softly despite being sick, saying it was all good.
“I’m meeting with the director right now, so I’ll call you again later.”
– Okay.
After hanging up, Kang Dojun went back into the restaurant. In the meantime, they must have ordered because all the food was already out.
“Why are you so late?”
“I thought you ran away saying you were quitting from today.”
Park Daeho’s scolding and the director’s playful sarcasm could be heard.
The director was always this kind of person. He always pushed his work onto others while somehow managing to build up achievements to climb to the director position.
Perhaps thinking they were close, he would play lame jokes that didn’t even work.
The underground parking garage was also clearly company property, so that wasn’t the time to bring up that story. Of all people to get caught by, it had to be this person. The rumor must have already spread throughout the company.
“I’m sorry. It was an urgent call.”
“It wasn’t a call from another agency, was it?”
…There have been more than one or two times when I wanted to switch agencies at times like this. But he didn’t encounter him often, and he didn’t want to reject a top-tier agency and bother switching just because of one person.
Kang Dojun picked up his chopsticks over the well-prepared Japanese table and started eating.
‘Yeonwoo likes sushi too.’
Should I pack some to go? Won’t it go bad on the way? While having various thoughts, the director brought up the main point.
“Next Tuesday, um, the day after tomorrow, will you do a special appearance? The filming will take about a week.”
His chopsticks stopped. Kang Dojun looked at Park Daeho beside him. He had said not to schedule anything for a while. But he also seemed to be hearing this news for the first time, shaking his head and asserting his innocence.
“…Special appearance?”
“Yeah, you know Shin Gihyeon is filming a new drama, right? You went to visit yesterday.”
“Yes.”
The director’s meaning was that DH Entertainment’s rookie actor was also in the new drama as a supporting role, and Shin Gihyeon, whose contract with FAM Entertainment was about to end, was there too, so it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression. He was asking him to make a special appearance in episodes 1 and 2 to boost the drama’s firepower.
“I brought the script too.”
He opened his bag and handed over a small bundle of papers for episodes 1 and 2.
He had brought the script and spoke as if suggesting it, but it seemed the special appearance was already a confirmed fact. However, things had proceeded too hastily.
If Tuesday was the day filming started, he would have to memorize the script and practice from now. He needed to go see the sick Yeonwoo right now, so a special appearance was too much.
It was clearly intentional. Were they going to start working him hard from now?
The director added more words as if he had read Kang Dojun’s mind.
“We have no intention of working you hard either. Even if you quit acting, you’ll still do CFs, right? We need to renew the contract anyway. Just please help us out this once. We need to make a living too.”
While they were already stuffing themselves plenty.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to refuse, the director said if he just did this job, they wouldn’t schedule anything for a while. If he could successfully persuade Shin Gihyeon to come over, it would be like catching a big fish, so the agency would have less need to pressure Kang Dojun.
If this job was resolved well, he would have more time to spend with Lee Yeonwoo. At the not-bad proposal, Kang Dojun quickly turned his head.
It was like the story of the monkey and the chestnuts. Should he refuse and go meet Lee Yeonwoo now, or accept and go meet Lee Yeonwoo after filming? If there was one difference, it was that if he refused now, he couldn’t ignore the schedule that would be set next time.
Actually, the answer was already decided. Kang Dojun just had to say it.
“I’ll do it.”
The short sentence that came from his mouth sounded quite unpleasant.
He had constantly told Lee Yeonwoo that he should eat meals on time, but he ended up picking at his food. All motivation withered.
He couldn’t distinguish whether what was going down his throat was soup or water.
After the uncomfortable meal that felt like it would upset his stomach ended, Kang Dojun got in the car.
He could see Park Daeho subtly watching his mood. He could feel heat gathering around his eyes. He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a shallow breath.
“…Let’s leave quickly.”
Feeling the car move, he gripped his phone as if it might break.
He repeatedly turned his phone screen on and off, staring intently at the 11-digit number.
Being alone when sick is the most pitiful thing. Yeonwoo, who was already starved for affection, would feel it even more.
At least Kim Haseon said he was going to visit tomorrow, so there would be a caretaker. But he lamented that he couldn’t be that caretaker.
“I’m going.”
“Oh, come in.”
As soon as Kang Dojun came home, he sat on the sofa and meaninglessly flipped through the script he received from the director. Once the special appearance schedule was finished, this crap would be over too.
Eventually, he put the script aside in a corner and called Lee Yeonwoo.
He must be waiting. He couldn’t go. He was afraid to say that. Each word felt incredibly heavy.
– Did you leave!?
The excited voice already made him feel shabby.
– Hello? Hyung? Can you hear me?
When there was no answer from beyond the speaker, the sound of Lee Yeonwoo hitting his phone on the floor could be heard. Machines get better when you hit them. That was his philosophy.
He had made a bunch of promises he couldn’t keep. To uphold even his philosophy, he struggled to part his lips that insisted on silence.
“Yeonwoo.”
– Hyung? Is something wrong?
Just by calling his name, Lee Yeonwoo keenly picked up on Kang Dojun’s mood.
– You said you were going to meet the director. What did the director say?
“Yeah.”
– Should I scold them for you?
Even while coughing, Lee Yeonwoo tried to cheer him up with humor.
“Sorry, I think I’ll be a bit late.”
– …….
The quiet silence indicated Lee Yeonwoo’s psychological state. He was probably quite upset.
“Want to video call?”
– Yes.
The Lee Yeonwoo seen on screen had his face flushed red from the fever. It seemed like heat could be felt through the screen. And surprisingly, he was maintaining an expressionless face.
Usually, he would be desperate to be worried about, but when moments like this came, he would pretend to be okay as if nothing had happened, so as not to worry others.
He didn’t like that aspect. But since he was the one who didn’t keep his promise, he wasn’t in a position to say anything.
“Did you take your medicine?”
That was all he could say in his guilt.
– Yes. I just ate and took medicine.
Lee Yeonwoo nodded slowly and seemed to have something to say as he moved his lips. Kang Dojun waited quietly with the attitude that he would listen to whatever he said.
– If you can’t come today, when will you come? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?
“In a week.”
– …That’s quite late. Won’t you forget my face?
At Lee Yeonwoo’s playful words, Kang Dojun smiled softly and shook his head. That won’t happen. Otherwise, I’d really have to quit or something.
– By the time hyung comes, my cold will be better too, and there won’t be any worry about transmission.
He spoke as if it was rather good and sneezed softly.
“If I were there, I could have taken care of you.”
He had heard earlier in the day that he took Uncle Gyeongtae’s car to the hospital in the next village, but he still felt sorry for not being by his side when things were difficult.
– It’s okay. I can get it from Kim Seungseon tomorrow.
“What time is Seungseon-ssi leaving?”
– He’s driving his own car. He said he’d leave around 7 o’clock.
“I’ll pack some things to send.”
Since he couldn’t go himself, he felt like he needed to pack plenty of things for the person who was going to feel somewhat relieved.
Lee Yeonwoo drew a slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
– Please pack a few photos of hyung too.
“Okay.”
Since the day Park Daeho gave him photos, Lee Yeonwoo had become obsessed with Kang Dojun’s past photos. The photo album was at his family home, but it was close so he could just go and come back.
To pack various things to send, he had to move diligently from now.
Someone might say he should rather go to the countryside and practice the script, but as long as Lee Yeonwoo was next to him, the script would obviously take a backseat.
Using the excuse that he didn’t do his part as a pretext to schedule more work would be a big problem. Of course, he could refuse, but that also had its limits.
He had to do it properly so there wouldn’t be trouble at the agency.
“Yeah. I’ll pack it full.”
After continuing the conversation, they had already been talking for well over two hours. He had a two-hour conversation with someone whose throat was hurting.
Kang Dojun suddenly realized that Lee Yeonwoo’s voice was more hoarse than when they first talked. Making him excited, making his voice go out. Perhaps he was the one hurting Lee Yeonwoo the most.
“Yeonwoo, it’s late. Go to sleep quickly.”
Seeing Lee Yeonwoo reluctantly fidgeting on the other side of the screen, thinking that he wouldn’t be able to hang up for a while like this, he greeted first and ended the call.
He didn’t forget to text him to drink honey water before sleeping. The bee emoji in Lee Yeonwoo’s reply was still cute. Are they available by series…?
Early the next morning, Kang Dojun packed his luggage and went to Kim Haseon’s house to meet him. He could easily spot him loading luggage into his car trunk in the parking lot, apparently about to leave for the countryside.
“Hello.”
“Whoa! You startled me.”
Kim Haseon trembled and turned around, then trembled once more at the sculpture before his eyes.
“Ah… hello.”
“Yes, I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly.”
“No, I heard from Yeonwoo too…, and he’s sick, right? Is that the luggage I need to take?”
“Yes.”
Kang Dojun offered the suitcase he had brought and helped load it into Kim Haseon’s car trunk.
Is it a bit cramped? Kim Haseon’s luggage and Lee Yeonwoo’s luggage were stacked like Tetris in the narrow trunk. Kang Dojun stroked his chin as if troubled.
“Um… I can put some in the back seat too.”
“No, then you’d have to drive with the front seat pulled forward.”
Kang Dojun wanted the carrier who would transport Lee Yeonwoo’s precious luggage to drive more comfortably and safely.
“Seungseon-ssi, would you like to take my car?”
Kim Haseon broke out in cold sweat at the somewhat radical proposal.
Kang Dojun didn’t mind and took out the luggage he had brought from his car one by one. Kim Haseon unconsciously opened his mouth.
…Why are there three suitcases? Are you moving somewhere?
It was an ironic situation where there was more luggage from the homeowner when going to visit Lee Yeonwoo’s house.
Kang Dojun assessed the luggage to be loaded and Kim Haseon’s car, then came to his own conclusion.
“As expected, we can’t fit it all, right? I’ll lend you my car.”
Then he handed Kim Haseon the black plastic bag he had prepared in the passenger seat.
“This is gimbap, I prepared some breakfast for Seungseon-ssi. There’s coffee here too. Drink it while driving.”
It was silent pressure to please not doze off and drive comfortably and safely.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
